Inflatable airbag systems installed in motor vehicles have long been known and used for protecting vehicle occupants in case of severe impact to the vehicle. Such an airbag system is known for example from U.S. Pat. No. 3,632,133, which shows an inflatable airbag system actuated by an impact sensor that electrically energizes an airbag upon a vehicle impact or collision.
Such airbag systems are relatively expensive, especially when arranged to protect vehicle occupants other than the driver, and restoring the airbag system to service after it has been activated by an impact is also a relatively expensive operation. The trend is now to install further airbags for vehicle occupants beyond the driver, which, it follows, increases the cost of restoring the airbag system to service once it has been activated.
It is therefore an object of the instant invention to provide an inflatable airbag system that with a relatively small expense is capable of being restored to service after an impact.
It is another object to provide an airbag system having selection arrangement for selectively arming only airbags for seats that are actually occupied.